Bring out your dead

[Derringer]

Looking for ideas on how a non-evil necromancer can bring his undead buddies along through town without causing a disturbance. I have thought of just using disguise undead...but ah, well then at the moment we would just be talking about a live ettin walking through town instead of a skeletal one..not a huge improvement.

Sadly, I don't think the undead count as object for shrink object spell, but something like that would be perfect. I thought about a portable hole, but can anyone think of a spell or device that would help? (shrink them down to carry, teleport them in from home, etc.)

 

[Plane Sailing]

What level are you? That will dramatically affect the possible options.

 

[lukelightning]

What's wrong with a wagon and some tarps?

This highlights one of the advantages skeletons have over zombies: They're easier to pack.

 

[Darklone]

Zombies can usually be put into barrels.

If you have humanoid zombies, put them in full platemail. That helps in more than one regard.

 

[Derringer]

Thanks for the notes so far-

I am looking toward the future so not really concerned about the "level appropriateness" of the solution.

Right now the group is 6th level.

And yes, a human zombie in plate has already made an appearance with us on the streets of Sharn and on a lightning rail. The wolf skeleton can be a nice pet dog with an easy "disguise undead."

But we are looking at an Ettin skeleton right now (and slash or giant spider). How do we move around in the city which is our main base of operation with something like that? How do we jump on a lightning rail or airship to head out into the country? And we are heroes after all, it just doesn't due to scare everyone around you with these undead while going off to fight the good fight. (I in fact am not the necromancer in the group...just one of the party members looking to help figure out how to give us a less disturbing presence)

And the Ettin is only the beginning...I am sure we will progress to umberhulk zombies and such before too long.

I really like the idea of something like a portable hole that we unfold and the dead crawl out of.

 

[Allegro]

In a portable hole you could hide a 6' by 10' creature.

 

[TYPO5478]

But we are looking at an Ettin skeleton right now (and slash or giant spider).

A giant spider skeleton? Can you do that?

The template requirement for a skeleton (and for a zombie, for that matter) is a corporeal creature with a skeletal system. Granted, spiders (and vermin in general) have exoskeletons, but all the template examples for both zombies and skeletons use creatures that have endoskeletons. I think the rules intend that those templates can only be used on creatures with an internal skeleton.

Check with your DM for his interpretation.

To the question at hand, how about invisibility sphere?

 

[Derringer]

Yeah, the DM has already ruled that an exoskeleton counts as having a skeleton to work with...the counter example in the PHB is a purple worm....

Zombie spider shouldn't be a problem regardless since for zombies it just says a formal anatomy is required with a counter example of an ooze.

 

[nittanytbone]

Just buy a wagon, put all your other "trophies" in there (displacer beast hide, tail of rust monster, blood of troll, scale of red dragon, whatever you've accumulated), and charge commoners 1 CP each to tour your "Hall of Wondrous Trophies." Have someone with high bluff collect the fees. Command the skeleton to "lie as if lifeless" and put some dust on it so it just looks like another trophy. As you continue adventuring and adding trophies, you can expand your monstrous skeleton collection.

The only way you'll get caught is if someone with high Sense Motive comes along, if a priest burns a Turn Undead attempt inside your "Hall of Wondrous Trophies," or if someone throws down some divinations.

If you regularly stay in the same town, I'd pre-emptively charm (using magical or mundane means) the local priestly authorities who might take exception to the walking dead.

 

[pallandrome]

If you want them ACTUALLY WALKING AROUND with you, this is gonna be hard. REALLY hard. But certainly worth doing, if for the fun factor alone. You can, of course, special order odd full-plate sizes. Might not be a bad idea anyway, as it's an easy way to boost Zombie AC. Starting at 11th level, you can use the Veil spell to do exactly this, and it'll last at least 11 hours, so it'll be good for a day trip. Seeming is a slightly less effective, but slightly earlier (9th level) version of this.

Regardless, make sure to cast Misdirection on it. Don't try anything silly like making the Zombie detect as a person, that'll never hold up. Try making the Zombie detect as a Flesh Golem, which is SLIGHTLY more acceptable in civilized society.